Triangular brace for locking- the panels of field-fences



C. VAN DE MARK, OF OAKS CORNERS, NEW YORK.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 21,037, dated July 27', 1858.

T0 all 'whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES VAN DE MARK, of Oaks Corners, in the county of Ontario and State of New York, have invented, made, and applied to use certain new and useful Improvements in Portable Field- Felices; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the construction and operation of the same, reference being had to the annexed drawing, making part of this specification, wherein- Figure l, is a plan, and Fig. 2, is a side elevation of my improvements in portable fences. The other figures are separately referred to, and similar marks of reference denote the same` parts.

Portable field fences should be adapted to every use for which the agriculturist may require the same; the panels of which said fence is formed, should be cheaply and easily made, and be so constructed that when put together in a Worm or zig zag form, they can be used for surrounding a large field or dividing up a field, also that the same panels when put together in a three or four sided figure will form a small pen or fold for retaining cattle temporarily, or when put together in greater numbers can form a circle or polygon of larger or smaller size for the same or other purposes; and also that the panels of said fence when locked together should be firmly connected in passing over hills or small elevations of any character, and lastly that the panels of the fence should be so formed that they may be put together in a straight line as well as in a crooked or zigzag form, the' same being supported by `suitable posts or braces.

In Letters Patent granted to me June 2nd 1857 panels or trays are shown, that I have found to be adapted to all the foregoing purposes. I will therefore only briefly show how the same are adapted to the before enumerated uses, and then proceed to define the point of the present improvement on the aforesaid patent.

In Figs. l and 5 my panels are shown as locked together in nearly the manner de scribed in the before mentioned patent eX- cept that the saine are shown with the end locking boards d, and 72., clamping against the rails (e, 7, g,) instead of on the posts a, and c, (see also the panel at the right end of Fig. l), and Fig. 5, also shows the manner in which the next panel may be locked at a similar included angle, so as to proceed in the same manner all around and form a polygonal inclosure of greater or less size according to the number of panels made use of. From the fact that my end locking board it, as in the original patent, is longer than the opening through which it is entered (partially endwise) said locking board cannot escape, even if the panels of the fence are not strained tightly, and for this reason I can lock three four or more panels together at the corners as seen in Fig. 6, to form a sty, pen, or fold, of a temporary character, in a manner so often required by farmers and others. And from the foregoing peculiarity of my original panels I am enabled to pass with ease any hillock or projection by allowing the panels to lock loosely as shown in Fig. 7 and accommodate any unequalities in the surface.

Upon reference to Figs. l, and 2, repre senting my improvement, it will be seen how my panels can be locked together to form a straight fence, and this is preferable to the zigzag or worm fence of movable panels under many circumstances, as well as taking less material for a given length of fence; but a straight fence is not self supporting. I have therefore invented the brace z', Fig. 3, which is formed of two side pieces united at the top by a block l, and connected at the bottom by a cross bar 2, on which are blocks 3 and 4:. This brace is to be used with each panel, or as often as may be required foi` properly holding up the straight fence, and is to be entered through the space between the posts c, (l, and rails e, f, and is to be set against the post c, so that the upper ends of the braces (2', a) abut against the sides of said post c, and the block 8, also comes against one side of the post c. The end locking board L, is now to be entered, (the space thus left corresponding to its width,) and its upper end being slid up until the lower end clears the rail f, the board is then forced down into place between the said rail f and the block 4L, and the fence is 'securely formed and supported.

I do not herein claim the panels or the mode of locking the same together, as the same are embraced in my aforesaid patent; neither do I claim triangular braces to support the panels of a fence, as the same have before been used, but I am not aware of any previous instance in which a triangular brace has been introduced within an opento secure by Letters Patent as an im rovement on the said patent of June 2n 1857 The brace z', constructed as specified When l combined With panels formed as set forth With the end locking pieces and set together in a straight or nearly straight line as described.

In Witness whereof I have hereunto set my signature this thirtieth day of April CHARLES VAN DE MARK. Witnesses:

GEO. M. HoRToN, WILLIAM BUTTERFIELD. 

